Recently, I attended the Tarot/ Tree of Life weekend retreat presented by the teachers of Planet Dharma, Qapel Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei who laid out the basics of the Tarot and Tree of Life, gave time to ponder the information in meditation and explained in simple terms that made an ancient tradition accessible and relevant to the twenty-first century. I highly recommend their courses for beginners as well as experienced students.

Retreating in person with Qapel and Sensei is like coming home. It’s like visiting the authentic High Priestess, Magician and Fool all rolled into two. Well its like visiting the whole major Arcana archetypes all rolled into two people. They are loving, generous, knowledgeable, wise and compassionate.

The Western Mysteries & Tarot with Doug and Catherine Sensei has been highly transformative and relevant to my personal and universal experience of being human. I am still discovering new and varied ways of showing up in my life; how to leverage talents, strengthen weak links and lighten up!

This retreat was right on the mark – a perfect blend of focused inner work along with space for reflection in a trusting and comfortable setting. The teachers were wonderful, insightful, humorous, and extremely attentive to our individual needs for understanding. This unique experience cultivated a bond within the group and fostered an energy that amplified each lesson.

The teachings always speak directly to me. It is uncanny. It is like hearing a language that I spoke in some other life form and suddenly it rings a bell. And bell after bell. Like a universal language that we all used to speak but have forgotten. It is as if new pathways in the brain open up – directly from the cosmos via Qapel and Sensei.

Studying the hero’s journey with master Dharma teachers Qapel and Sensei, I discovered my own journey of transformation and the unknown. While walking on this path with the quest to awaken in this lifetime, I learned to bring the gift of wisdom and service to others. This retreat has impacted my artistic statements and performances since. It has allowed me to bring other artists and collaborators on this journey. It is a brilliant course both for artists and those who want to experience life as art.